Nov 29, 2016 By Eleanor Bailey 3 min read

Savannah Shaw capped a stellar fall cross country campaign by participating in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Race on Nov. 26 at historic Van Cortlandt Park in New York. The Upper St. Clair junior finished 35th overall with a 19:15 time.

“It was so cool to be in the Bronx racing some of the best runners in the country and to be on a historic course,” said the 16-year-old daughter of Tara and David Shaw.

The course started out flat, nearly as flat as a track, for about a mile. The majority of the race weaved through woods on a trail, which consisted of rolling hills. Some 600 meters from the finish, the terrain flattened out again.

“I really liked the course especially since it is similar to many courses I have raced before in Pittsburgh, without the long, long hills.”

Conditions, however, were akin to those Shaw competed in during the WPIAL championships. It was windy and Shaw cramped up, preventing her from significantly “kicking” to the finish. “I pushed through it as best I could,” she said. “I had hoped to break 19 as I did at states, but I’m still happy with my race overall.”

Shaw’s coach was less critical. In fact, Doug Petrick was tickled with her performance.

“The race had a strong field of runners that really set the pace early,” Petrick said. “Savannah ran a smart race. We can’t say enough positive things about her race and entire cross-country season. We are very proud of this performance and even more excited about all the progress she has made over the past year.”

Shaw shattered several course and school records this fall. She finished fourth in the district finals and placed 14th overall at the PIAA championships, posting a time of 18:55.

“Savannah is a talented racer that values the process of improvement above everything else,” Petrick said. “She understands that it is the whole body of work-consistent training over the long haul-that provides opportunities for growth.

“Savannah does an amazing job of analyzing her race, communicating her strategy to her coaches, and then adjusting for next time based on feedback,” Petrick continued. “This is a testament to continually evolving as an athlete and gaining a new item for her racing toolkit from each race and each season.

After a brief break from training, Shaw gears up for the indoor track season. According to Petrick, she will get back to “foundational elements” of her training, which typically take a backseat during the cross country championship season. She is expected to shine in the spring during the outdoor season, earning berths for the WPIAL and PIAA championships to be held in May. Next fall, Petrick anticipates, Shaw will return to the Foot Locker Regionals.

“She will have had another year of solid and consistent training under her belt,” he said.